Lessons Learned
by GraciousMe
Summary: AU. A captured Merlin at Morgana's mercy. Some whump, a little bad ass Merlin, character death, reveals. Please read and review :).
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer : Merlin and it's characters do not belong to me :(.**

Arthur was feeling bored. Life at the castle was becoming rather mundane. When realisation of how he was feeling broke through his conscience, he knew the answer. Hunting. And so he gathered a party of Knights that just happened to include his favourite people in the world, Lancelot, Gwaine, Leon , Elyan and of course Merlin, defenceless, armour-less, sword-less Merlin, to go hunting, Arthur's favourite pastime.

The day began in similar fashion to how Arthur's hunting trips began. Merlin struggling to load the horses with supplies whilst Arthur looked on laughingly and made scathing comments. Merlin in reply would call him an arrogant prat whilst Arthur pretended not to hear and passerby's looked on in outrage that a servant boy would dare to speak to their King in such a manner.

Finally the party was ready to move on and so they trotted off into the woods ready for an adventure.

It was late afternoon and the hunting party were hungry, tired and frustrated. Unusually for such skilled hunters, they still had yet to succeed in hunting down an animal. The deer's were either too quick for them or they were too slow or in Merlin's case Arthur thought snappily, too clumsy. So it was a dejected party that decided to hang up their shooting boots for the night and to make camp before it became too dark.

Arthur was feeling particularly frustrated with Merlin and perhaps unfairly (he realised but didn't care) blamed him for their lack of success in hunting down dinner. Did he have to trip right at the crucial moment? he thought. And three times. If Arthur hadn't been accustomed to Merlin's clumsiness he would have suspected sabotage. As it was, Arthur had no choice but to accept it was Merlin being Merlin. Arthur didn't dare to ask himself other questions. Like, why did he bring Merlin along to begin with? it would have led to answers Arthur was not yet ready to face.

"Go and stock up on the wood, Merlin." Arthur snapped

"Yes, Sire." Merlin snapped back. Only Merlin could make the word "Sire" sound so insulting. Arthur just glared at him in response.

The rest of the Knights looked at each and grinned rolling their eyes. Merlin and Arthur having a tiff was no unusual sight.

Merlin wondered off to gather the wood. In truth, he was grateful for the opportunity to get away from the rest of the party. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy their company. He did. But right now his magic was suffocating and he needed to give it a little freedom even if it was for something as simple as collecting wood. And he was sick of Arthur and his company. Always blaming him when something went wrong, Merlin thought angrily. As he bent down to gather up the wood his magic had collected, he heard a sound. A sneaky, shifty sort of sound, almost as if someone was stalking him but had just tripped over an unseen piece of root. Merlin froze. Had one of the Knights just seen him use his magic? "Gwaine?" he said out loud nervously.

There was no reply. The skies were slowly turning black, almost as if they were reflecting Merlin's mood. Merlin hadn't failed to notice that the weather tended to reflect Merlin's state of mind. Happy Merlin was a sunny Camelot. Sad Merlin was rainy Camelot and angry Merlin was thunder storms and lightning Camelot. Right now, the skies were cloudy and heading towards thunder and lightning. Merlin was now scared. He could sense himself being watched but not knowing who or what it was made up his mind.

So Merlin ran. Deep into the woods, away from Arthur's camp hoping his chasers would be led far, far away from Arthur, heart pounding, lungs tearing but he ran. His chasers cursed loudly as branches unexpectedly hit them, some tripped inelegantly as previously unseen tree roots made themselves known. Yet Merlin's path remained clear, free of obstacles. And so he ran.

Merlin stopped to catch his breath. He bent forward, hand leaning against a tree as he willed his lungs not to give up on him. And then there was silence. No chasers. No birds singing. No wind. No rustling leaves. Just a deep silence that had a sound of its own.

Fear slowed Merlin's pounding heart. His magical senses tingled. There was something wrong here. He could feel it. Smell it. Taste it. So he stood in silence in the shadow of the tree and waited.

And then it happened. There was a tap on his shoulder and a lilting voice that he knew so well spoke.

"Hello, Merlin."

**AN**: Thanks for reading, those who managed to reach the bottom :P. I have the second chapter written out pending editing. I'm a terrible writer in that I have no set plan when writing a story so I'm open to suggestions and idea's as to where the story can lead. So please review and give me feedback. Thanks :)


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, favourited and followed this story. It's muchly appreciated :). More of them please ;)

Here's the second chapter. Hope it lives up to expectations. Enjoy :)

**Disclaimer: Merlin and it's characters do not belong to me :(**

Merlin slowly turned around, eyes shut, wishing with all his being that this was simply a nightmare and if wishing was not enough then hoping that his magical abilities could whisk Morgana far, far away. He opened his eyes. Yes, Morgana was indeed standing in front of him. Clearly he couldn't be that powerful if his magic couldn't make her disappear he thought sulkily.

"Morgana" said Merlin expressionlessly and nodded. Both silently stared at each other noting the differences in appearance since the last they had seen the other. Morgana as always looked beautiful. Living as the ward of the King, there had been a restrained wildness about her. Now it was free. Her black hair curled uncontrollably around her face, her green eyes were lined in black accenting the green and her lips were painted a blood red. Beautiful, Merlin thought disgustedly.

Morgana in turn noted how Merlin had lost the air of innocence that had surrounded him when he first arrived in Camelot. His blue eyes once so clear were hard, his mouth had lost that heart melting smile and his body had filled out a little where before he had been unnaturally thin. Beautiful, Morgana concluded. The boy was now a man. In appearance anyway, Morgana thought sneeringly.

"So Morgana, I would ask what you're doing here but I did hear some rumours that you've made these woods your home." Merlin said with a smirk.

Morgana's eyes flashed in anger, acknowledging the not so subtle dig Merlin had aimed at her about her fall in status. "Shut up. Just shut up" she said. She whispered some words and suddenly something had pushed Merlin down and he was being tied up with invisible chains. "What are you doing?" he choked out. Now it was Morgana's turn to smirk. She came and stood over him, "There's something so right about this. You at my mercy...the things I could do to you..." Something gleamed in her eyes, her tongue came out to lick her bottom lip. Suddenly the air was tense. To Merlin's utter humiliation, he felt something flutter in his stomach. He angrily shook his head, whether it was to physically deny what he was feeling or to shake the feeling off, he didn't know. This seemed to anger Morgana, who bent down and grabbed a handful of his thick black hair bringing his face up towards her. "You are at my mercy now. You move when I say you can. You talk when I say you can. Do you understand?" she hissed.

Merlin stared up at her with hard blue eyes. The silence lingered between them and then he heard Morgana's breath catch. A small flare of triumph flickered momentarily in his eyes and then as quickly disappeared. She may think she was in control but Merlin knew better.

"I have only one master and it's not you." Merlin said simply. With a shriek, Morgana yelled out something and all went black for Merlin.

When he awoke, his hands were tied to thick rod above his head and someone had taken his shirt off. He was in a gloomy room with only a little hole in the wall to his right giving the room semblance of light. As his eyes adjusted to the room he could make out a small fireplace on the corner but otherwise the room was empty. He groaned as nausea overwhelmed him. He remained still waiting for the feeling to pass. Merlin was tempted to use his magic to break free but the fear of keeping his secret from Morgana kept him from breaking out of his restraints, hell from breaking apart the room and going free. He wasn't going to use his magic unless there was no option remaining Merlin decided. He was going to wait for Morgana to play her cards before he played his.

It was a couple hours later that Morgana decided to make an appearance. Merlin was feeling incredibly thirsty and his arms were at breaking point but he was not yet ready to break down. Not in front of Morgana of all people he thought. Morgana now stood in front of him, a self satisfied smirk lingering on her lips. "You're looking comfortable" she stated with a smirk. Merlin silently glared at her not speaking. "Cat got your tongue?" she said and reached out a finger to slowly trace his lips. Merlin resisted the urge to lick to that finger which was still lightly tracing his lips. Defiantly he stared into her laughing, smirking green eyes refusing to play her games.

Suddenly she seemed to grow bored and she took a few steps back, her green eyes turning cold. "You may not speak but you will be screaming soon." Merlin had a feeling that any screaming wouldn't be for pleasure. He watched as Morgana picked up a long rod that she had brought with her and lovingly ran her hands over its tip. Yes, he knew what was going to happen next.

So she had magic at her fingertips but her weapon for inflicting pain was the crude method of whipping, Merlin thought with a scornful inwards snigger, his magical sensibilities a tad insulted. And what was he doing critiquing her methods of torture when any second he was going to feel pain like never before, he thought beginning to panic. One fear consumed him the most, one fear which threatened him the most. At no cost could Morgana find out about his magic, unless it was on his terms. He didn't know how his magic would react to the unbearable pain that was undoubtedly going to be inflicted on him. His magic was currently in control, kept under a tight leash by himself but should his magic feel he needed help it could take up a mind of its own.

"Just tell me this Morgana, why are you doing this?" Merlin asked, hoping to find a little of the old Morgana still remaining within the new and not so improved Morgana.

"Oh, lots of reasons." Morgana said with a smirk. "Let's see, you're Arthur's manservant and hurting you hurts him, or how about a little revenge for attempting to poison me whilst pretending to be my fried, or how you somehow always find ways to interfere with my plans. Don't doubt that I hate you as much as Arthur. I will enjoy watching you die. Slowly. Painfully. That is what you deserve."

And then with a quick flick of her wrist, she brought down the whip across his back. Again. And again And again. On the same place. Again. And again. Merlin gritted his teeth and his throat emitted a deep groan that would be a scream if it weren't for his teeth clasped so tightly together. He was not going to give Morgana any pleasure by screaming. Silent tears were streaming down his cheeks, eyes tightly shut. Oh, it hurt. It was pain as he had never known it. How was it possible to feel pain in every inch of his body when the lashes only impacted his back, he wondered dizzily. Something stirred inside him, as if waiting for him to allow it to let loose. His magic was giving him a thread to cling on, grounding him to reality. Merlin was relieved there was something he could focus on through his pain. His magic could not be let loose. Not yet anyway. Merlin was now in a silent battle to keep his magic under tight along with the battle to survive the pain Morgana was inflicting on him.

Morgana stopped the lashing to inspect the mess she had made. "Aw, look at your beautiful back. Oops, I meant your once beautiful back. " She giggled. "So bloody and... ugly. Perfect." she ran a warm hand over the welts that had formed over his back, some which had torn through the skin and was now bleeding profusely. She put the tip of her finger under Merlin's chin and turned his face around to towards herself. With a slow smile, making sure Merlin's eyes remained on hers, she brought a finger still covered in Merlin's blood to her lips and licked Merlin's blood off. At this Merlin's eyes turned black with disgust and his body shuddered. Morgana's smile only widened at his reaction. "Luckily, I bought something to stop your wounds being infected " she said.

Merlin tensed up. Alarm bells were ringing in his head. Morgana would not be treating any wound of his. What was she up to now he thought fearfully. He soon found out. Morgana lathered his back with a whitish salve. At first he felt nothing and then he screamed, pride be damned. His back was burning. A burning that he could feel in his bones, that spread to his face, that made him want to grab a sword and behead himself just to make the burning stop.

"Salt." Morgana said with a proud smile. She looked flushed, feverish, as if Merlin's pain was giving her a pleasant physical reaction.

Merlin's tears and sweat were now mixed together. He was sobbing silently, his movements, reactions, no longer in his control. His back was still burning but the pain was now slightly tolerable, if burning could ever be considered tolerable he thought his face twisted in agony. He quivered as his body tried to recover from the shocking pain it had received and was still receiving. His bones felt like jelly and he could only hang limply as his hands still shackled to thick rod above his head. Suddenly he bent over and retched. Nothing came out as he hadn't eaten for what felt like days. He couldn't remember. Still, his body made a decent attempt to vomit his lungs out. At last, it stopped and he could feel himself beginning to lose himself to the black. It was so tempting but he must not. Must not, must not, he chanted in his head trying to stay focused. He shook his head attempting to clear his head. He could not lose consciousness leaving himself defenceless and at Morgana's mercy. He had already lost his pride and dignity to her. He wasn't going to lose his life too.

His magic was now beginning to rebel and for the first time he feared it would win. It was swirling inside him, slowly building into a ball of energy that even a slight loosening of his iron grip on it would see it explode. He could feel the urge to let loose beginning to overwhelm him, to end this, for it take his pain away . After all Morgana had said this was only going to end in his death. She had no use of him, there was nothing for him to bargain with so why was he taking this? he wondered. Was the fear of discovery still stronger than his fear of the torture and death Morgana was going to inflict on him? As he feverishly mulled over the temptation to let his magic take over, Morgana was moving on to the next phase of her torture.

As he hung limp, boneless, half unconscious, Morgana whispered in a language he knew so well and then suddenly he was hit with a wall of visions. Visions of his nightmares and fears becoming reality.

_Arthur standing on the castle balcony, eyes cold and merciless bringing his hand down to indicate for the man on the pyre to burn. The man who was Merlin._

_Merlin standing in the middle of a ruined village, his childhood friends and neighbours dead. And his mother. His mother. All dead in the name of hunting down the sorcerer Merlin. He bent down tears pouring down his cheek and howled his grief into the empty skies._

_Merlin standing helpless in the shadows as Arthur leads another Great Purge against the magic community._

_Merlin standing over the dead body of Arthur Pendragon. Dead before his time. Dead before Merlin and Arthur's entwined destinies could be fulfilled. All his sacrifices, heart ache, all for nothing. _

As he felt the pain of Arthur's death, so real in his mind, a part of him that didn't want to accept that Arthur's death c_ould _be real, because don't they say denial is the first stage of grief, made him aware of the golden ball of energy currently simmering within him. Eagerly he grasped on to it, clinging on to it desperately as battled the temptation to lose himself to the blackness. As his true reality infiltered into his conscience, he felt a wild elation strum through him when he realised Arthur wasn't dead. Those visions were a lie. This was all Morgana's doing. Morgana.

Morgana was watching Merlin with unhidden curiosity and fascination. She had no idea what visions Merlin would be seeing. The beauty of the spell she had applied was that it was personal to the individual it was cast on. She watched as if in a trance as Merlin shuddered, thrashed wildly about, howled and wept through the visions. What was he seeing, she wondered. What fears could haunt a simple servant boy so brutally that it would lead to such a reaction? Suddenly he went still. His eyes remained closed, his head hung limply down but his body had stopped shuddering. Morgana watched in eager anticipation expecting the visions to continue, for the shuddering, screaming to begin again. What she didn't expect was to see Merlin slowly lift his head, his eyes still closed and a feral smile to spread across his face.

And then his eyes snapped open and he looked straight into hers. Morgana, unable to stop herself gasped. Merlin's eyes were glowing bright golden.

**AN**: It was quite difficult writing out this chapter and I feel I didn't do some scenes justice. For the whump parts I had to rely mostly on my imagination as I'm much too squeamish to go and research the goriness of hurting other human beings. So apologies :P

So for the next chapter I have a vague idea what I'm going to do with it. I hope Morgana is a suitably hateable psycho bitch in this chapter as I'm planning on Merlin being quite mean to her :P but how mean should Merlin be? torture her to death? torture her a little and then give her a quick death? torture her a little and let her go? torture her lots and let her go? or he's just about to get mean but Arthur walks in? so many possibilities. Feedback appreciated so I can tailor the story to the audience. Thanks :)

Other than that tbh I'm feeling my creative juices drying up. Which means I'm unsure when the next (possibly final) chapter will be out. I'm hoping to get it out within 7-10 days, fingers crossed. Oh yeah, and don't forget to review. Gracias :)


	3. Chapter 3

Again, thank you for the reviews and follows. In particular the reviews as they have been very encouraging for a wannabe writer experiencing her first writer's block.

** TimothyRiddle** - Agree it is too OOC for Merlin to torture someone and enjoy it which is probably why I'm struggling to write such a scene. Not promising that there won't be some _mild _torture though, but let's see...As for an Arthur reveal, I wasn't original planning on one but it does seem like that's where the story is heading.

** Madi** - I like the idea of Mergana and the show should have played with that idea but I've always considered them a sort of star crossed lovers so any Mergana story I would write would have a sad ending :(. Maybe there could be redemption for Morgana in this story? I don't know yet.

So what's been happening in Camelot whilst Merlin and Morgana are off having fun?

**Disclaimer: Merlin and it's character do not belong to me.**

It had been over an hour since Merlin had disappeared to collect wood. The Knights and Arthur were sat around a fast depleting fire, awaiting Merlin's return with more wood. Arthur, already annoyed with Merlin was now simmering in anger, waiting for Merlin to lumber up so that he could let loose his rage. "Probably sat around somewhere having a nap or more likely sitting under some tree crying for the dead ant he's stepped on "Arthur muttered to himself. Gwaine and Lancelot exchanged worried glances. Arthur talking to himself was a tad...unsettling.

One hour had now turned into one and half. Gwaine and Lancelot were sat quietly talking to the other, every few minutes sending worried looks towards the path Merlin had taken away from them. Finally Lancelot had enough and stood up "I'm going to look for Merlin " he stated in a tone that brooked no argument. Gwaine stood up too, "I'm coming as well" and with that both strode off into the woods.

Arthur gazed at their disappearing backs and felt a frisson of fear run through him. Despite appearances, he was worried. Very worried. It was not like Merlin to disappear for so long on a simple task like collecting wood. Initially Arthur had thought Merlin was simply cooling off after their little spat but Merlin would never be so selfish as to disappear in a huff leaving his friends worried and in the dark over his whereabouts. Another thought struck him suddenly. Something which was always sat at the back of his mind, a thought he didn't like giving much time too. What if Merlin finally had enough of Arthur and his harsh ways and given up on him? Arthur had never understood the serving boy's unnatural loyal to him. Drinking poison on his stead when he barely knew Arthur, going to battle against a dragon with no armour or any redeemable fighting skills, Arthur had selfishly accepted his help not wanting to ask too many questions. Merlin was surely capable of making his own choices when it came to his own safety, Arthur reassured himself. If Merlin wanted to put himself in danger who was Arthur to stop him? only the King, a little voice in the back of his head said. "Oh shut up" Arthur muttered. Elyan looked over and gave Arthur a weird look which he did his best to ignore.

Arthur could no longer stand his thoughts. He stood up abruptly. "I'm going after Lancelot and Gwaine . And Merlin" he said almost as an afterthought. The skies were dark, cloudy and with the evening settling in, light was fast disappearing. Arthur hurried behind Lancelot and Gwaine, with Elyan and Leon stumbling behind him. As they walked deeper into the woods, tracking Lancelot and Gwaine, they stumbled into a small clearing where Lancelot and Gwaine were looking down at a pile of wood scattered on the floor. Both turned to look at Arthur. Arthur froze. From their worried and angry expressions, he knew all he needed to know. Something had happened to Merlin.

Night had now fallen completely. Moonlight was now their only source of light. Arthur quickly made his decision. "Let's go back to camp. There's no light so we can't look for Merlin now. We'll return back to the castle at dawn and send a search party back to comb the woods for him. And Gwaine, grab some of the wood. We don't want Merlin's hard work wasted now, do we?" Gwaine exchanged a disbelieving glance with Lancelot but bent down to pick up the scattered wood.

The worried party all turned back to return to camp. No one slept that night. They sat around the fire discussing what could have happened to Merlin. "He wasn't that far out from here so why didn't we hear him yell or struggle?" Gwaine asked with a puzzled frown.

"I would say from the way the wood was scattered and that there was no sign of a struggle, he ran. Away from the camp." Lancelot suggested.

Arthur frowned at this. "Idiot. He should have ran straight back here. We could have protected him. Dammit, where has he gone? " Arthur stood up and began pacing, frustration pouring out of him. No one dared to speak out loud of their biggest fear. The possibility of Merlin being dead.

The next day dawned far too slowly for the hunting party. As soon as the first tendrils of light was seen in the horizon, the party made their way to clearing where Merlin's scattered wood had been found. As noted by Lancelot, there were no signs of a struggle and any tracks led away from the camp, before coming to an abrupt end under a tree a mile away from the wood clearing. The Knights looked at each puzzled. This was rather bizarre. No one could disappear like this. Unless they had magic but no one dared to voice that particular thought.

The party made their way quickly back to Camelot, hoping to get an experienced search party out as soon as possible whilst the tracks were still fresh. They galloped into Camelot, urgency radiating from their very pores. People sensing the urgency moved away as they approached the castle.

Arthur on arriving immediately made for the throne room, his Knights following behind him. As he approached the throne room, a guard made his way towards Arthur. "My Lord, there's a man here to se..." but before he could finish Arthur interrupted . "I don't have time, John. I'll see him later."

"But he said this is about Merlin."

Arthur stopped abruptly, leading to Gwaine and Lancdelot to bump into him, the force strong enough to send Arthur tumbling on to the floor. "Sorry, Sire." Lancelot said, not looking particularly sorry at all. Gwaine said nothing, just returning Arthur's glare with his own. Suddenly Arthur realised neither Lancelot and Gwaine had said much to him this morning. They obviously blamed Arthur for Merlin's disappearance. Arthur was aware Lancelot an d Gwaine were close friends with Merlin but hadn't considered they might hold him responsible for Merlin disappearing. He felt himself flush out of guilt remembering his attitude towards Merlin, blaming him for their lack of success in hunting and then ordering him to collect wood. Arthur shook his head trying to clear his head of all emotions. Now wasn't the time for recriminations, that would come later when Merlin was back in Camelot safe. Right now there was a man claiming to have information on Merlin and he wanted to know what it was.

He stood up quickly, offered one last glare at Lancelot and Gwaine and strode into the throne room. A man was sitting facing the throne, surrounded by four guards. Arthur frowned in confusion. His guests were not normally treated in such manner. When the guards saw their King enter the room, they quickly stepped back leaving room for Arthur to see the back of his guest's head. All he saw was a non threatening grey head. Arthur's confusion expanded. What possible threat could an old man be to the four guards?

The man with the grey head stood up and turned to face Arthur. And Arthur had his answer. He knew this face. It was the druid from whom he had taken the Cup of Life from.

"You." Arthur hissed. "What are you doing here? you dare to enter Camelot when you know magic isn't tolerated here."

"Quiet" said the druid an annoyed expression on his face.

Arthur spluttered in disbelief. The guards once again surrounded the druid. Lancelot sniggered but quickly turned it into a cough as Elyan and Leon sent him confused glances.

"I have information on Merlin's whereabouts. If you want to hear it, your guards will step away from me now" said the druid.

Arthur fought the urge to have the arrogant druid thrown in the dungeons. "Move away from him" he ordered reluctantly.

"Good boy" the druid said with a haughty sniff.

Dungeons and then execution Arthur thought, his hands tightening around his sword hilt. The druid cast an amused look towards his sword but wisely said nothing. "Tell me what you know." Arthur ordered. For the first time since they had met this morning, a worried expression fell across the druid's face. Arthur didn't understand but for some reason the druid was concerned about Merlin.

"Merlin has been taken by Morgana. Morgana currently resides deep in the Forest of Ascetir and we believe that's where she's taken Merlin. If you find her, you find Merlin" said the druid.

Morgana. Should have guessed, Arthur thought angrily. "Who is this "we" you speak of?" asked Arthur challengingly.

The druid now had an impatient expression on his face. "Merlin does not have the time for your games, my Lord. "We" are the druids, as you already know."

Arthur was now feeling like the little boy the druid had insinuated him to be earlier. "Why should we trust your information?" Arthur asked.

"Let's just say Merlin is equally important to us as he is to you" the druid said mysteriously.

Arthur stiffened. "Explain yourself" he ordered. "That isn't for me to explain" the druid replied. From the stubborn expression on his face , Arthur could tell he wasn't going to get anything more out of him

"I have told you everything I know about Merlin whereabouts. Now I request that if my information proves correct, you will allow me safe passage out of Camelot. As you can see I have not come to cause harm but in peace" the druid asked.

Arthur stared at him, hand still gripped around his sword hilt. "If your information proves correct, _if, _you have my word that you will be allowed safe passage out of Camelot. " Arthur then turned towards the guards, "Guards, take our guest down to the dungeons. Thank you."

The druid gave a mocking stiff bow and allowed the guards to escort him down to the dungeons. As he passed Lancelot, he whispered to him "save Merlin from himself." Lancelot gave the druid a confused look but didn't dare reply.

"Let's go " said Arthur with a grim expression.

Within an hour the same hunting party was galloping away from Camelot, towards the Forest of Ascetir.

**AN: **Thank you for reading :). Feedback and reviews will be much appreciated.

Hopefully next up Morgana and Merlin.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN**: As always, the reviews, follows and favourites have been much appreciated. Special mention to Cinnimania and Megami for their very supportive reviews :).

So here's the next chapter. Easily the most difficult piece I've ever written and I'm not happy with it. Hope you all enjoy it nonetheless :)

**Disclaimer- Merlin and it's characters do not belong to me :(**

Morgana shrieked in horror as the straps holding Merlin snapped and Merlin landed lightly on his feet. A golden light was emitting from his body and Morgana could feel it's healing power as it bathed Merlin's body. She watched bewildered as Merlin's bloody wounds healed themselves before her eyes, watched as Merlin so limp before now stood upright, tall and strong cocooned in golden light. She opened her mouth to say something but only a squeak could force its way out. The power she was sensing from Merlin was unimaginable, uncontainable even.

Suddenly she was backing away towards the door. Fight or flight. Her body rightly told her to run. As she reached for the door handle, she thought she heard the door click. Desperately she pulled at the door but it remained shut. "Open up" she hissed, eyes turning gold. The door remained shut. Not even her magic could open it for her. Fear she had not felt since discovering the invincibility of her magic, engulfed her. The creature standing before her was Merlin yet it wasn't. This Merlin was magic itself. Her mind felt that it would self combust out of sheer disbelief. Merlin. Humble, weak, loyal, serving boy Merlin had magic and not just any magic. Powerful magic. Even more powerful magic than what she had.

Only she should have been able to unshackle Merlin from the rod. Only she should have been able to snap Merlin out of the visions she had inflicted on him. Yet he had broken both spells. Everything suddenly made sense. Arthur surviving in impossible situations, how her best laid plans were constantly thwarted when it appeared nothing could stop her. It was all Merlin. She burned from embarrassment at her ignorance. How easy it had been for him to make a fool out of her. And everyone, she quickly added.

Golden light still bathed him, surrounded him. It seemed to act like a protection shield, nothing could touch Merlin whist the light surrounded him, healing him of the wounds that had been inflicted on him.

She looked around desperately, looking for a way to escape. There was only that tiny hole in the wall. Useless. She whispered a spell that would allow her to teleport herself away from this tiny room but again nothing. Morgana had never felt so vulnerable. Her magic was her shield and now it was gone leaving her at Merlin's mercy.

The gold light surrounding Merlin was now fading. Morgana watched in shock awe as the golden light was absorbed back into Merlin's body, now fully healed. Pangs of greed hit her. She wanted that power. Bitterness consumed her. Such a waste of power. The things she could have done with that magic, instead the person who had this magic blessed on him chose to spend it acting as serving boy to his kind's biggest enemy. Traitor. Morgana was filled with self righteous anger and disgust at such betrayal, fear that had consumed her momentarily gone.

The golden light had now disappeared completely and she could make out Merlin's standing form, only the flickering light from the candles she had brought along earlier and the mild daylight from the hole giving the room light. And Merlin's golden eyes. They still glowed bright. Morgana shivered, her bravado faltering for second.

Next moment, she was being slammed against a wall and an invisible hand was holding her by the throat against the wall. Morgana gasped in pain, all breath knocked out of her from the impact. The invisible hand around her throat tightened, choking her more and only a strangled sound came out of her as she tried to speak. She brought her hands up to pull the invisible pressure off her throat but she could only grasp empty air as the pressure choked her. Just as she thought she was going to pass out the grip on her throat fell away, allowing her to breathe. She slid down the wall falling in an undignified heap on to the floor, gasping for breath, coughing harshly, throat burning, hot tears running down her cheeks.

Merlin's feet suddenly appeared next to her. He bent down on his knees and tilted her head up to face him, his eyes still glowing golden. Even in pain, this struck Morgana as bizarre. Eyes only turned gold when magic was used, they never _stayed_ golden like Merlin's.

Morgana shrank away from Merlin. "Not scared of me, are you?" Merlin said, sounding amused. "Didn't you want to kill me? Slowly. Painfully" he mocked. "Don't let my magic try and stop you." Now he was just laughing at her.

Anger spread through her. "Traitor" she croaked out, her throat sore from being strangled.

At this Merlin's mocking golden eyes turned cold. "You should not provoke me anymore than you already have" he said coolly.

He stood up and walked away to look out of the little hole in the wall, masquerading as a window. From the hole, he could only make out trees and a cloudy sky. It had been over a day since he'd been taken by Morgana. Maybe even more, he couldn't remember.

Morgana observed him silently. She was bursting to ask Merlin questions but didn't dare bring attention to herself. She was trapped in this room with him and there was no physical way out. She could only hope that the softhearted boy she knew was still in there in him so that she could appeal to him. If he was in there somewhere, she thought eying him uneasily. Well, he hadn't killed her yet and that gave her hope. But it was obvious he was mulling over something as he gazed out of the hole. Probably waiting for Arthur, his Knight in shining armour to come riding to his rescue she thought nastily. Morgana could no longer stand the tense silence.

"What did you do with my magic?" she demanded her voice a harsh grating sound.

"I don't know." Merlin said absentmindedly still gazing out of the hole.

Morgana seethed over his answer. His words so_ arrogant_, so _careless_ in its reply. As if making someone's magic disappear wasn't a big deal. I don't know. The three words circled around her in mind. How could he _not _know? who was he? _what _was he? she thought fearfully. She had considered herself powerful before but now she knew the true meaning of power. She had only ever met one person who had challenged her magically and she now reluctantly admitted, was superior in his abilities to hers. Emrys. Something clicked in her head and she gasped out loud. Merlin whirled around to look at her enquiringly but she was too lost in the earth shattering realisation that had just dawned upon her. Emrys. Merlin. Emrys. Merlin. She didn't how it was possible considering Emrys was a doddery old man but she was convinced Merlin was Emrys or possibly related to him. She recalled Alator's reaction to her question on whether he knew who Emrys was, with Merlin in that very cave. Emrys had been so close to her. She groaned out loud still lost in her world of anger, hatred and hot embarrassment. Merlin hadn't just fooled her once, he had fooled her twice. And she knew what they said about being fooled twice. Merlin watched her warily, curious as to what made her turn a pasty white shade and then within seconds, puce.

"Emrys" she whispered. And then louder "EMRYS." Merlin flinched slightly. He didn't know why he was surprised she had finally put it all together but a part of him had always hoped she would never find out. Morgana eagle eyed to Merlin's reaction to her saying "Emrys", slowly rose to her feet and had she any magic Merlin would have truly been frightened. As it was, Morgana threw herself forward, eyes wild with anger and pummeled and kicked at Merlin, attacking any part of his body, fingers clawing at his eyes. Merlin grabbed her upper arms and eyes glowing an even bright gold, snapped "ENOUGH" and suddenly Morgana was on the floor tied up in invisible chain, much like how she had tied up Merlin when capturing him. She struggled to sit up on her knees, hair wildly out of place, green eyes sparkling with hate. She smirked as Merlin brought up his hand to wipe the blood flowing down his cheek from where she had clawed at him. Merlin glared at her. "You're chained up, I'm standing here free" Merlin pointed out. Morgana's smirk disappeared. "How did you do it?" Morgana asked. Merlin didn't pretend not to understand. "Ageing spell" he replied simply. Morgana let out a frustrated groan at the simplicity of Merlin's disguise . There was silence, only Morgana's loud pants as she fought a losing fight against the chains, disturbing the uneasy peace.

"What are you going to do with me, Merlin? kill me?" Morgana snorted at the idea. Had Merlin wanted to kill her, he would have done so by now she reasoned.

Merlin ignored her. He was looking out of the hole again, as if he was waiting for something or someone .

"Why didn't you tell me you had magic?" she asked.

Merlin was quiet for so long she thought he wasn't going to answer. "Look at the person you've become. Bitter. Filled with hatred. Hurting the people you once loved. Hurting innocent people in your quest for revenge and power. Was I really wrong not to tell you? you've proved yourself unworthy of such trust Morgana."

Morgana was outraged. "You are the one who poisoned me. I did nothing to you. Nothing."

Merlin turned around to give her a pitying look. "Have you already forgotten you were betraying Camelot long before I poisoned you? you sold out your friends and family. I had to choose between Camelot and you, and frankly seeing as you were the reason for putting me in such a position, I don't regret my decision. I only regret it never did its job and killed you. A lot of innocent lives would have been speared as a result"

Morgana gasped. "You disgust me Merlin. Our kind were hunted down, massacred and killed by Uther. Yet you choose to use your gifts to protect him and now Arthur, whilst our kind continue to be persecuted. You are a traitor to your kind. I thought I would enjoy killing you but now that I know the truth your death will be ecstasy" she hissed, a maniacal gleam in her eyes.

Merlin just looked scornfully at her. "My magic, my destiny is so much greater than petty revenge and hatred. It is your paranoia, your failure to see the bigger picture, your incessant belief that fire must be fought through fire, is what has led you to where you are now. Alone. Living in this..." Merlin looked pityingly around the tiny room "... hut, where once you had a home with family, friends and hope for a great future for magic under Arthur. You destroyed all that. Now you stand alone."

Merlin's words hurt more than Morgana cared to acknowledge. She was alone. A one woman army fighting against the might of Camelot and the most powerful warlock to exist, Merlin. "Look at you with your holier than thou attitude. Such faith in Arthur yet he doesn't know about your magic, does he? Still hiding your true self. Arthur is King now. What is your excuse for him not knowing? Where is this great future for magic under Arthur, Merlin?

Merlin's golden eyes glowed brighter and Morgana shrank back in fear. He stalked towards her, anger radiating from every step. "And you still don't understand. What is my excuse? you, Morgana. As long as you continue to hijack magic for your own selfish ends, Arthur will never be open to magic and magic will not return. That is what you want, isn't it?"

Morgana stared disbelievingly at Merlin. "Fool." she spat out.

Merlin halted. Realisation seemed to dawn on him and with it sadness. The gold in his eyes dimmed. "You're never going to stop, are you?" he said tiredly He stared at her with regret and then his eyes hardened. "I can't let it continue, Morgana. I keep hoping one day you will see sense, redeem yourself..." his voice trailed off.

She didn't see it coming. Merlin brought his hand down and her body turned ice cold. She slowly sank to her knees gasping for breath. Morgana stared in disbelief at Merlin. The last thing Morgana saw was Merlin's gold eyes turning back to their natural blue colour, the speed of the change cruelly mimicking the life leaving her body. Morgana lay dead, looking innocent in death as she had never been in life. Merlin looked pityingly down at her and then turned to walk out of the door.

**AN - **Thanks for reading, people. What do you think of Merlin? did I make him too much of an ass? not enough? does Morgana come across as too much of a sympathetic character? it definitely wasn't my intention for that to occur but reading back she does seem very pitiful. Is this story utter bollocks? As always reviews and feedback will be gratefully received.


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you to those who reviewed, followed and favourited my story. With Merlin ending, you're my only motivation for continuing with the story.

**WishIwasThere** - Thanks for reminding me of Percival :). Leaving him out was an oversight on my part, so I'll be going back and editing him into the story.

**RedEidin**- Morgana also enjoys hurting people just for the sake of hurting. Merlin may be wrong but he's well intentioned. I do agree Merlin comes across as ruthless but I feel a lot of it is down to him not being much in control of himself, his magic has kind of taken control of him. That's what I'm trying to play on in the story, so he's not quite himself.

Here's my next chapter, more of a build up for the next chapter so it's not very long.

Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: Merlin and it's characters do not belong to me** :(

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Merlin looked out of the castle windows, hearing the pounding of horse hooves against the hard floor in the courtyard. A set of dishevelled and weary Knights dismounted from the horses. Merlin fought the urge to run and hide but instead steeled himself to go down and face the Knights and of course, Arthur.

As Arthur dismounted his horse and gave orders to the stable hand on what he wanted from him, he heard a gasp from Lancelot but before he could turn towards the Knight, he heard a delighted yell from Gwaine. "MERLIN!". Arthur whipped his head around to face the castle entrance and walking down the stairs with a self conscious smile was Merlin.

Before Merlin could finish descending the stairs he was enveloped in hugs from Lancelot and Gwaine. Leon, Elyan and Percival hung a little back with happy smiles allowing Lancelot and Gwaine to hug the thin serving boy before coming forward to shake his hand and give him hearty pats on the back. Arthur alone stood back waiting for the hugging and patting to subside. At last there was an open path for Arhur to greet Merlin. Arthur strode forward and without a hug or a smile demanded "What happened? where have you been?"

Merlin's nervous smile subsided. He had only arrived back in the morning and had made straight for Arthur's room, not wanting to remain missing for far too long from Arthur's side. He had been told by Gwen that Arthur and Knights had ridden out to find him but not much more. Even so, he was ready for the questions. Lancelot standing behind Arthur was desperately trying to catch Merlin's eyes, trying to communicate something with his eyes. Merlin looked back in confusion not understanding the message Lancelot was sending. Lancelot shook his head frantically but when Merlin simply looked back nonplussed, he gave up with a sigh.

Merlin looked into Arthur's angry eyes. "Not even a hello?" he said jokingly. Arthur rolled his eyes but gave half a smile. "Welcome back." he said mock grudgingly but then his tone was immediately back to being business like. "So, what happened Merlin?" Arthur asked, an impatient ting to his tone.

Merlin sighed knowing he couldn't put off answering the question. He tried though. "Can we not wait until later?" he asked hopefully.

Arthur narrowed his eyes at Merlin. "No, Merlin. We've wasted time and resources searching for you, Lancelot and Gwaine have been worried out of their minds that you might be dead, only for us to return to find you here. So answer the question. What happened?"

Merlin gave up. Arthur was too insistent in wanting a reply. " Well, after you _ordered _me to go and collect wood, I went off not too far from and the camp and collected a pile of wood."

Arthur nodded. "Ah yes. We did see the pile. You'll be happy to know we made good use of the wood when we came across it."

Lancelot and Gwaine rolled their eyes at each other. Elyan sniggered and Percival and Leon maintained their straight faces like the good Knights they were. Merlin glared at him. Arthur gave him a patronising pat on the arm and said with a condescending smile, "continue your story."

"When I awoke, I was lying under a tree not too far from where I had been knocked out. Alone. Which I found quite puzzling if I'm honest. Anyway, I didn't question it too much. It was still dark when I woke and all I was thinking of to move away from the spot where I'd been left in case whoever had knocked me out and dragged me there came back. So I ran. I didn't know where I was heading but I later realised it was in the opposite direction of Camelot, hence why it took me five days to get back " Merlin said.

Merlin looked at the Knights hoping they had bought his story but their expression ranged from the cynical (Lancelot), trusting (Gwaine) , confused (Percival) and anger (Arthur). Merlin focused on Arthur. If he believed the story, what the rest of the Knights thought wouldn't matter.

"So you weren't kidnapped by Morgana and taken to the Forest of Ascetir?" Arthur said slowly.

Merlin froze. His blood ran cold. Merlin had never understood that phrase but as he felt the chills run up his spine, goosebumps breaking out over his body, he understood. Oh yes, he understood. He had become so used to his lies being accepted that the shock of the truth being presented to him as an alternative left him speechless and unable to respond. It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to tell the truth, he just didn't want to explain how he had escaped Morgana's clutches.

"Wha-at?" Merlin stammered.

Arthur ignored him and turned towards Gwaine and Elyan. " Have the Druid brought up to the throne room from the dungeons. I want a word." He said grimly.

Druid, Merlin thought blankly. What was a druid doing here in Camelot? Merlin turned around to look at Lancelot who just shook his head sadly. Merlin finally understood what Lancelot's eye signals were saying. Or a little of it at least. Looked like he had missed some vital things whilst missing.

"Come, Merlin." Arthur said. "Let's get me cleaned up." Merlin reluctantly followed Arthur back into the castle, only turning to look back at Lancelot to point towards Gaius' and Merlin's living quarters. Lancelot nodded to show he understood and then headed off in the opposite direction, fearing the King's wrath on the poor druid.

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Arthur is a bit of an ass, isn't he?

Reviews and feedback much appreciated :)


	6. Chapter 6

**MollieWT**F - that predictable, eh? :D

Here's the next chapter. Enjoy :)

**Disclaimer - Merlin and it's character's do not belong to me** :(

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Merlin groaned in frustration. He was tired , hungry and his body still ached from the torture Morgana had inflicted in him but here was yet another problem he had to deal with. The druid. What would he do for one mundane day? he sighed. Let a druid die? a tiny voice whispered in the back of his head. Merlin gave himself a mental slap in the head. "Snap out of it, Merlin." he muttered. What was he going to do about the druid? what could he do?

The battle raged on in his head. On one side was the inevitable death sentence of the druid, the other Merlin having to reveal his identity and with it the fallout to such a revelation. Merlin flung himself down on his bed. Why did he have to always make the moral decisions? why couldn't someone else take those decisions of out his hand?

The questions inside his head quietened and he found himself pondering over Morgana. He still hadn't quite processed what happened. Had he really killed Morgana? it had been very odd. From the moment of snapping out of the straps binding him, he had felt as if he was having an outer body experience. It was him but it wasn't. He recalled the immense sense of power that had filled him, the feeling of being untouchable, the sense of invincibility. It had been intoxicating. He frowned feeling uneasy all of a sudden, his conscience prickling him. He had killed Morgana. She was dead. But how much had killing her been down to because he _could _and not because he _had_ to? he wondered. No, he decided. He was not going to question his decision to kill Morgana. He had known for years she was never going to stop her ruthless pursuit of Arthur and that her death would be the only way to stop her. And she had deserved to die for the sins she had committed against numerous people in her vendetta. She showed no mercy to her enemies or innocent bystanders. Hadn't she tortured him mercilessly? at least he had given her a quick and painless death which was more than she deserved, he thought trying to ease his troubled conscience.

He thought back to what she had said. There had been some truth in her words, he acknowledged. Arthur was King and yet there had been no big change in the perception of magic. Perhaps there was no active persecution of people who practiced magic but there was no acceptance of it either which is what Merlin was ultimately aiming for. Merlin finally admitted it to himself. He was scared. Scared of destroying the comfortable life he had built, scared of forcing the issue in case Arthur didn't react how he wanted. And Arthur's treatment of the druid didn't give him much hope. But Arthur knew Merlin, he reasoned. They were close as brothers. Arthur would be angry but he would come round eventually. At worse he would be banished. He didn't believe Arthur would have him killed. He had to believe that.

Merlin took a deep breath. He didn't know how he was going to do it but the druid was not going to die because of him, especially not when he had risked his own life by coming to Camelot to save Merlin. Merlin's decision made, conscience clear, he lay back comfortably on the bed and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Merlin was woken from his sleep with a loud banging on his door. He groggily walked towards the door and opened it. Arthur stood on the opposite end, looking impatient. "Well?" he said.

"What?" said Merlin, still not quite awake

"What's you excuse?" Arthur said.

"Again, what?" Merlin asked puzzled.

"You're late ." Arthur said

"For what?" Merlin asked in exasperation.

Arthur looked at him like he was crazy. "I need to get ready for the State dinner to celebrate Gwen's anniversary on being crowned Queen."

"Well, excuse me for forgetting. I was only kidnapped and just arrived back home today" Merlin said sourly. "Why didn't you just send down a servant to fetch me?" he asked.

"What, and deprive myself the pleasure of waking you?" Arthur said with a wicked grin.

Merlin snorted in disgust but a little smile played at his lips. "Small pleasures, eh?"

Arthur gave him a mock punch on the arm in reply.

He followed Arthur out of the room, back to Arthur's. "So, what's happening with the druid? Did you speak to him?" Merlin asked cautiously.

Arthur's faced darkened. "No. I've rearranged the meeting for tomorrow. Gwen wanted the evening to go smoothly, without any side issues distracting from the dinner."

"Oh" said Merlin, relieved that he still had a little time to come up with a plan to save the Druid.

Merlin silently worked on preparing Arthur's evening clothes. He had Arthur's bath ready and soon the only remaining job was to get Arthur in his clothes. Merlin was so lost in his thoughts he hadn't noticed how quiet and _compliant _Arthur had been in Merlin's preparations. No moaning about the clothes he would be wearing, the people he would have to pretend to like but didn't. As Merlin handed Arthur his dress shirt, Arthur grabbed Merlin's wrist

"I'm glad you're okay Merlin" Arthur said hesitantly, an unreadable expression on his face. Merlin looked surprised. Arthur wasn't one to show he cared, often hiding his feelings behind a gruff exterior. Knowing this had the potential to turn awkward, Merlin quickly snapped a smile on his face and replied "Me too. I don't even want to imagine how you would get through life without me cleaning up your mess from behind."

Arthur gave a haughty sniff. "Don't flatter yourself. You're very replaceable." And with that he swept out of the room. Merlin watched him momentarily, the smile slowly fading from his lips, his guilty conscience wrecking havoc. Most days he could subdue it but it tended to rear its head occasionally especially when Arthur showed his nicer side. Which was becoming a common occurrence. Merlin sighed and then followed his King out of the door.

The evening celebrations went off without a hitch. The Queen was well entertained, the food exquisite and for Arthur, the company tolerable with his favourite Knights in attendance. Merlin stood by Arthur's side waiting on him, bored out of his mind and desperate for some quiet time to form a plan to rescue the druid. Or the once low but now loud voice in his head was persuading him, to confess. For Merlin, the burden of keeping his secret was now becoming greater than the fear of the consequences.

Merlin was rudely interrupted from his thoughts by a sharp elbow in his stomach. "Ooof!" he grunted. Arthur looked up sharply. Sir Imanass, newly Knighted impatiently waggled his cup at Merlin and snapped, "Boy, pay attention. Top me up." Merlin felt a rush of anger run through him. Imanass was no more than a year older than him and yet here was calling him "boy". Something buzzed inside him. Merlin quickly swallowed the anger down, fear quickly overcoming his anger. After his recent loss of control with Morgana, a part of him now feared his magic and its ability to overwhelm him.

Arthur was still observing the interaction between the two and his blues eyes were now glittering furiously. Before Merlin could fulfill the Knights request, Arthur called Merlin over. Merlin hesitated just about to pour wine into Imanass' cup, but then Arthur this time even more insistently called his name, beginning to attract the attention of people surrounding them. Merlin put the jug down and walked back to Arthur, looking questioningly at him. "Top up my cup" Arthur said quietly. Merlin was confused. Arthur's cup was already three quarters full. Merlin shrugged and did as asked. "Thank you. You can now leave. Have the rest of the evening off" Arthur said, looking up to stare down Imanass who was watching the two. Arthur's subtle point well and truly made. Only Arthur was allowed to take liberties with Merlin . Anyone else did so at their peril. Well, unless you were Gwaine or Lancelot. Both tended to do whatever they wanted, King be damned. Arthur quickly filtered those thoughts out of his head, coming back to the matter in hand.

Arthur waited until Merlin had left the room before addressing Imanass. "Sir Imanass, you may now be a Knight of the realm but with being a Knight comes certain expectations on their behaviour. One of which includes not physically attacking servants and speaking to them with respect. Is that understood?" he said, in a hard voice.

At this Gwaine, Lancelot, Percival looked up. Having overheard Arthur's telling off they immediately understood what had set the King off. Arthur was overprotective of Merlin and in more than one occasion, people unaware of Merlin's unusual position in Arthur's life had felt the King's wrath of their scornful treatment of Merlin. Imanass gulped suitably chastised and nodded quickly before looking down to continue eating his meal, lesson learned. The rest of the evening sailed smoothly by, all tiffs forgotten in the merriment.

The next dawned much too quick for Merlin. He had slept uneasily, waking up to nightmares of burning stakes so real he could smell the stench of burning. He still hadn't thought up anything to save the druid. And himself. Breaking the druid out of Camelot would be impossible, if only because it would drive Arthur to ruthlessly hunt down the druid. It left him with one option. Merlin hadn't spoken of confessing to either Gaius or Lancelot knowing they would encourage him to protect himself but Merlin knew he could never allow an innocent druid die over a simple misunderstanding, perpetuated by himself. He was aware that his story alongside the druid suddenly appearing to warn the King would make the druid appear highly suspicious to the King. If the druid was found guilty of being part of plot to kill the King he would be found guilty of treason, punished by death. Merlin groaned. What a mess he'd got himself and the druid into but he had always known one day his lies would catch up on him. Today was that day.

The Knights silently filed into the throne room, the King sat on his throne and Merlin stood by his side. The prisoner was brought in my two guards, hands tied. He looked gaunt as if he hadn't been fed well. The druid caught sight of Merlin standing next the King and his gaze filled with relief and hope. Merlin felt ashamed, recognising the two emotions. He had let down this man. He had let down his kind. He did not deserve such faith. Not yet anyway. He was now even more determined to rescue the druid. He offered a small nod towards the druid and the druid acknowledged it with a small smile before turning his sharp gaze towards the King, lifting his chin high. There was silence in the room, as the King and the druid appeared to lock themselves into a staring contest, neither willing to give an inch.

At last the King spoke. "Do you know why you're here, druid?"

The druid shook his head. " I see there's no food here, so not a dinner party?" he guessed.

Arthur ignored the druid's insolence. "I made you a promise. Should the information you provide us about Merlin prove to be correct, I would allow you safe passage out of Camelot."

The druid turned his gaze questioningly towards Merlin. The King interpreted it correctly and sharply replied, "He returned but not through your help."

The druid's unreadable gaze returned to the King.

"I want to make you an offer. An offer you would be well advised to take" said the King. "You will tell me the names of the people involved in the plot to kidnap Merlin, why they did it and why you sent my Knights and I on a false trail for Merlin. In return, I will allow you to live."

Merlin on hearing Arthur say those words, felt a cold shiver run through his back. Any hope he had of finding a way out of this mess without confessing was being strangled. Arthur had wrongly but understandably concluded there was plot to commit treason against him from people practising magic. The druid on hearing Arthur's words looked confused but now turned to look at Merlin for some clarity. Merlin gazed back at him, his eyes silently beseeching the druid to trust him. Suddenly he remembered druids could speak in telepathy. "_Please trust me_" he said . "_When I returned from Morgana, I lied to Arthur about my whereabouts. I wasn't expecting you to be here, for you or anyone to help me. It is why Arthur thinks you lied_. _I will get us out of this mess._" Only the druid's sudden blink told Merlin he had heard.

Arthur expecting a strong reaction from the druid, had now picked up on the silent communication occurring between his manservant and the druid. Arthur recalled the druid's words on how Merlin was important to them as he was to the King. Arthur silently vowed to speak to Merlin later, feeling as if he was missing something big.

The druid having made his decision to trust Merlin, because what other choice did he have, turned back to King and said " I can do no such thing, Arthur Pendragon. I spoke the truth when I approached you days ago. As far as my people are aware, Merlin was taken by Morgana. If that's not what happened, we have no other explanation. The druids are peaceful people. We do not wage war nor seek to participate in petty plots of treason."

Arthur sighed. "Then please explain the coincidence of Merlin being taken, you suddenly appearing here in Camelot the very same morning Merlin was taken, claiming to know where he was and who had taken him, sending the Knights and I on a wild goose chase only to return to find Merlin back here in Camelot safe. Explain."

Merlin held his breath. Now was the time, if any, for the druid to out Merlin. To say it could be explained in two words. Merlin lied. There was silence as everyone waited for the druid to talk himself out of the sentence coming his way. The druid looked down, as if contemplating his choices. At last the druid looked up and staring the King straight in the eyes stated defiantly "I can't." Just those two words.

The King looked regretfully back at the druid. "I therefore have no choice but to find you guilty of treason and sentence you to death."

There was a silent gasp around the room. This was the first death sentence issued in Arthur's two year reign. Lancelot was furious but helpless . He knew the real truth, yet he could not see a way out of this without Merlin giving himself up. And he knew that was not an option. Merlin could not give himself.

The druid was taken back to the dungeons and people filed out of the room muttering, still a little shocked at the outcome. Lancelot stood back allowing people to leave wanting to speak to Merlin who had a strange look on his face. At last only Merlin, Lancelot and Arthur were left in the room, alongside the two guards at the door. Merlin looked at Lancelot and nodded towards the door, as if to say "leave." Lancelot looked confused and then suddenly it dawned on him. It had been so unlike Merlin not to attempt to save the druid, he didn't know why he hadn't been suspicious much sooner. Because if Merlin wasn't going to break the druid out, he had something else in mind. Something like confessing to the King. Lancelot gazed furiously back at Merlin and shook his head viciously. He was not going to leave. Merlin's gaze turned cold.

He turned back to Arthur, heart beating fast. "Arthur, can I speak to you?"

"What?" said Arthur distractedly. He wasn't feeling very good. Sentencing a man to death wasn't as easy as his father often made it appear.

"I can't let you do this. I can't let you have the druid killed."

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**AN** - Thanks for reading everyone :)

So how should Arthur react to the upcoming Merlin confession?


	7. Chapter 7

**Live It up 124** - "Imanass" was actually supposed to be a temporary name whilst I thought up something more "knightly" but forgot to do a quick reread through the chapter before uploading *facepalm*. Glad you liked it though :)

**Corianna15** - Yup but I think nothing but a life and death situation would make Merlin confess so the poor druid gets it whilst we wait for Merlin to man up.

**EAM** - Thank you :)

**Megami** - He's not ;)

**TimothyRiddle** - I'm thinking more angst, less whump. Maybe. Ugh, this story has a mind of it's own. If it was up to me it would have ended 4 chapters ago so god knows which direction this story is heading :P.

**Disclaimer - Merlin and it's characters do not belong to me :(**

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_He turned back to Arthur, heart beating fast. "Arthur, can I speak to you?"_

_"What?" said Arthur distractedly. He wasn't feeling very good. Sentencing a man to death wasn't as easy as his father often made it appear._

_"I can't let you do this. I can't let you have the druid killed."_

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"Huh" said Arthur. And then Merlin's words sank in . _Merlin couldn't let the druid die. Merlin couldn't let Arthur have the druid killed. _A rush of anger ran through Arthur. Who did Merlin think he was telling him, _the King_, he couldn't let the druid die. A man who had just been found guilty of committing guilty of treason. A man who had been an accomplice in kidnapping Merlin. Merlin should be grateful to see his kidnappers brought to justice. Instead he got disapproval. This was a step too far for by Merlin.

Merlin immediately regretted the manner in which he had blurted out his words. Knowing Arthur, it would only antagonise him further and with the confession he had in mind, antagonising Arthur was not a good idea. Merlin quickly help up his hand to ward off Arthur's undoubted indignant response and backtracked. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to come out the way it did" he said quietly. "What I meant..." Merlin stopped and took a deep breath. "What I meant was, I couldn't let the druid die because I lied. I lied, Arthur. What the druid said was the truth. Every last bit of it. I was taken by Morgana."

Arthur stared at Merlin for a second and then burst out laughing. He clutched the arm of his throne , Merlin and Lancelot exchanged puzzled glances but waited for Arthur's laughing fit to pass. "Oh, Merlin" said Arthur, between spluttering laughs. "Must you be so predictable? I know you feel terrible about this but this attempt to save the druid won't work. Come, let's go. I need to prepare for the afternoon council meeting. And with that, he rose from his throne and swept down the room.

Merlin stared in disbelief after Arthur. The man hadn't even made an attempt to believe Merlin. Lancelot grabbed Merlin by the arm. "You idiot." Lancelot hissed. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking, I have to save an innocent man" Merlin said, still staring after Arthur. Shrugging Lancelot's hand off his arm, he ran after Arthur. Lancelot cursed and followed after Merlin. Merlin may not like it but no way was he leaving Merlin alone with Arthur when Arthur finally accepted the truth. Lancelot had no qualms over where his loyalties lay. He had sworn to protect and serve his King and he would but Merlin had earned his ultimate loyalty. Lancelot felt no guilt as he was well aware Merlin's loyalties to Arthur went beyond the usual. Swearing loyalty to Merlin in Lancelot's eyes was swearing loyalty to the King.

Merlin approached Arthur's chambers where seconds earlier Arthur had entered and paused outside the door, taking a deep breath. Arthur would now be preparing to eat lunch before sitting down to read through the notes prepared for the afternoon meeting. Life went on for the King. "Arthur" said Merlin entering the chambers. "You have to listen to what I have to say."

Arthur was standing in front of a mirror, running a comb through his hair. "Still, Merlin?" Arthur said in a bored tone. " I thought we had got past the point of your act of stupidity. Send for Gwen, will you? I need to..."

"ARTHUR!" Merlin yelled in frustration and his eyes flashed gold. Arthur stopped combing his hair in shock. Had he just seen Merlin's eyes flash gold? he gave his head a quick shake. The reflection in the mirror must be playing tricks he decided. He turned to face Merlin and a quick glance showed his eyes were his normal blue colour but they were flashing angrily and there was a tint of pink rising up Merlin's cheeks, betraying the frustration he was feeling.

"Merlin, stop with your nonsense". Arthur snapped, losing patience. "You suddenly agreeing with the druid's version of events doesn't help with anything. Do you realise how ridiculous the druid's story is? made even more ridiculous by the fact you're standing here. If Morgana had taken you, you wouldn't be standing here relatively unscathed. Just end this now. It's done with. It was hard enough making the decision I did, I do not need you to compound it with your ridiculousness. Unless you would like to join the druid down in the dungeons'? " he asked pleasantly.

Lancelot standing by the doorway watching the ongoing argument, resisted the urge to grab Merlin and run. "Let's go Merlin" he said quickly, his eyes pleading with Merlin.

"No, I am not leaving until I have said what I came here to say." said Merlin determinedly, not looking away from Arthur. "The druid was telling the truth, Arthur. I am the one that lied, not him. Don't let an innocent man die because I was too scared to tell the truth. You have to believe me." Merlin pleaded. There was silence, as Arthur absorbed Merlin's words. Merlin waited for a reaction but as the silence lingered on, his shoulders slumped and he turned to walk back out of the door. Lancelot let out the breath he had been holding. That had been close, he thought. He couldn't wait to be alone with Merlin so he could yell at him. And he was going to have a word with Gaius about Merlin too, he decided. Merlin's foolishness was going to get him killed.

"Wait" said Arthur.

Lancelot nearly let out an angry groan. Merlin turned around to look at Arthur wearily.

"Why would you lie to me?" Arthur sounding puzzled.

Merlin felt his heart clutch. Arthur's faith in him was so strong that Merlin lying to him was an unbelievable concept. Merlin's confession was not going to be easy on Arthur and he felt himself weakening. Was he ready to break Arthur's faith in him? was he ready to hurt Arthur? but it was too late now. He had brought Arthur to the point where he would be asking questions, questions that he did not want to lie himself out of answering.

"I lie to you all the time, Arthur" Merlin said . "I lied about Morgana not taking me. I lied to you the Dragon. I lie to you about my very existence."

There. It was out, thought Merlin. There was no going back from this. Arthur was looking confused now. "You're not making sense, Merlin" Arthur said impatiently. "What has the Dragon got to do with anything? and how can you lie about your existence? wait...you're not a troll, are you? please tell me you're not a troll?" said Arthur with a look of horror in his face.

In all the intenseness of his emotions, Merlin felt amusement rise up. "No, Arthur. I'm not a troll."

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, nothing you say now could be worse than you being a troll" he said with a grin.

Merlin immediately lost his smile. Arthur catching sight of this felt his stomach sink and braced himself for Merlin's explanation. He knew whatever he was going to hear, he wasn't going to like it.

"The Dragon, I am the one who set it free." Merlin said softly. "As for lying about my existence, I have magic Arthur. Strong magic. That's why I lied about Morgana. I used magic to get away from her but I couldn't tell you that. The druid didn't lie, he was protecting my secret."

Arthur unconsciously took a step back. "Do you know what you're saying, Merlin?" he said livid. How dare Merlin make such dangerous treasonous proclamations. "I suggest you have a rethink about what you have just said before uttering another word" he said eyes flashing furiously.

This was Merlin's final chance to take back his confession. And one that Arthur desperately wanted him to take. Lancelot found himself walking into the room, standing behind Merlin as the tense standoff continued between the two.

"It's the truth Arthur" Merlin said quietly. "Watch." Merlin held out his hand and a blue, white globe glowed in his hand. Lancelot gasped in awe. It was a thing of beauty. Arthur had glanced down at the globe and immediately recognised it. He quickly looked up and Merlin saw flashes of different emotions run through his eyes. Shock. Disbelief. Sadness. Hurt. Betrayal. Anger.

There was silence as Merlin and Lancelot waited with baited breath for Arthur to react. He turned away from Merlin to look blindly out of the window, hiding his emotions. When he turned back to face Merlin his shoulder's were stiff and straight, eyes empty carrying none of the warmth and spark that normally enlivened them.

"Arrest him, Lancelot." Arthur ordered.

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**AN** - Thanks for reading everyone :)

So, Lancelot. Thoughts on him? is he a unnecessary intrusion on what should be a Merlin + Arthur moment? will he follow the King's order and arrest Merlin? should he?

Reviews and feedback, good or bad, always much appreciated :-)

P.S. I'm looking for a new show, one that would inspire me to write. Any suggestions? :)


	8. Chapter 8

Just want to give a final thanks to those who have read, reviewed, favourited or followed this story. I also want to apologise for the delay. I'm blaming it on the massive writers block and me falling dramatically out of love with Merlin (a crappy ending to the series will do that to you). I've completed the story now and I just hope the ending to this story is satisfying. If not, I can only apologise.

**Disclaimer - Merlin and it's characters do not belong to me :(**

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There was a dumbstruck silence in the room as the three occupants absorbed the impact of Arthur's order. Should Merlin be arrested there would be no going back from this. The world would know Merlin was a sorcerer and the pitchforks would be out. Arthur steadfastly looked away from Merlin, keeping his eyes locked with Lancelot as Lancelot fought a silent battle within.

Now here was Lancelot's moment to throw his cards on the table, to stand by Merlin the way Merlin had stood by him numerous times. Lancelot made the mistake of breaking eye contact with Arthur to glance at Merlin who catching his eyes shook his head viciously and held out his hands, silently ordering Lancelot to arrest him. Lancelot looked back at Arthur keeping his face expressionless as he tried to think of ways to buy himself some time. He needed time to think this through, dammit.

"Arthur, this is Merlin. Merlin, who can't even kill a deer without shedding tears. You can't think he would ever use magic to hurt you. " Lancelot said with a small disbelieving laugh.

"You knew about Merlin, didn't you?" said Arthur slowly but before Lancelot could reply Merlin quickly interrupted.

"No, no he didn't. He's only found out now, just like you."

Arthur looked at Merlin with a sneer. "You will not speak unless you're asked to."

Lancelot shook his head disbelieving. Did he not realise he was talking to the most powerful man on earth? and then suddenly it struck him. Power. This is what it was about. And betrayal. Arthur had just been told his best friend, his servant one whom he enjoyed asserting his power over was more powerful than he could imagine. Anything Arthur did was because Merlin _allowed _him to. This power shift would take some time for Arthur to come to terms with but Lancelot realised, he would come to terms with it. Eventually. Arresting Merlin was Arthur's way of gaining control of their rather bizarre relationship. And his way of hurting Merlin, like he was hurting now. Decision made, Lancelot eyes still locked in a silent battle with Arthur, brought out his chains and arrested Merlin hoping he wasn't wrong about Arthur. Merlin nodded approvingly, understanding that Lancelot had reached a similar conclusion to him. Arthur frowned, noticing Lancelot only appeared to act when Merlin had consented to it.

Merlin silently paced his cell. It had been three days since he was arrested and the guards had been his only company. He had been banned from having visitors. Word would now be out in the streets that he had been arrested. Rumours would be flying around as to why he had been arrested, Merlin the King's insolent servant, his best friend. Yes that piece of news would be very shocking, Merlin thought wryly. Merlin's thoughts wondered to Gaius. How would he be taking the news? Merlin felt guilt run through him. Had he done the right thing? he had almost got Lancelot in trouble with his confession and now Gaius almost certainly would be suspected of knowingly harbouring a sorcerer. And most importantly, was the druid safe? surely Arthur wouldn't be so spiteful as to leave the druid rotting in the dungeons?

Doubts plagued Merlin. He was playing a game of brinkmanship with Arthur. Was he right to trust Arthur would eventually do the right thing and free the Druid, him and his magic? It wasn't just his own life hanging in the balance. The visions he had seen when tortured by Morgana haunted him, not allowing him to sleep. As much as he wanted to believe the visions had been his fears and Morgana's magic combining together to bring his nightmares to life, he couldn't help but fear the visions meant something. Well, In the next few days he would find out and whatever the consequences Merlin realised, he wouldn't regret the confession. It had been a long time coming. Merlin narrowed his eyes determinedly, his mind finally clear. For far too long emotions had coloured his judgement. This was it. Arthur's final chance to accept magic was going nowhere. And Merlin silently vowed if Arthur made the wrong choice, he would face the full power of Merlin's wrath.

Meanwhile, Arthur paced in his room , his boots making a harsh thud sound every time he took a step. So far no one, not even Gwen knew why Merlin was currently residing in the dungeons. However from the King's demeanour it hadn't been too hard to guess that whatever the reason was, it was very bad.

Thud. Thud. Thud. The guards standing outside the King's room winced slightly. Clearly whatever was preying on the King's mind wasn't pleasant. Suddenly, the door was flung open and Arthur appeared at the entrance.

"John, please summon Sir Lancelot for me. I need to speak to him urgently. Thank you. "

Arthur slumped on his bed. He was tired. Since the hunting trip, Arthur had not had an opportunity to take in everything. First, Merlin disappeared before Arthur and the Knights made a desperate dash to rescue to him. Then the druid magically appeared and Merlin reappeared. And now Merlin's confession.

The truth was, Arthur felt like a fool. He was a fool, he thought. A betrayed fool. How could he have not noticed Merlin had magic? The more he thought about it, the more obvious it become. Suddenly, things he dismissed as inconsequential now appeared to hold the utmost significance to the puzzle that was Merlin. Yet it still didn't make sense. There had been so many opportunities for Merlin to plant the idea that magic was good or to hurt his family who had done so much wrong to the magical community yet Merlin had never taken up the agenda to promote magic. No, he didn't understand. Arthur resisted the urge to march down to the dungeons and get his answers directly from the source. He wasn't ready to face Merlin yet. Not until he knew what he was going to do with Merlin.

Arthur briefly wondered why Merlin hadn't broken himself out of the dungeons. He could easily have done so yet the guards had informed him Merlin did nothing but pace in his cell, barely eating or sleeping. He felt a twinge of satisfaction run through him. He wanted Merlin to hurt, hurt like how he was hurting now. There was a hesitant knock on the door signalling the arrival of Lancelot .

There was a tense silence in the room, only broken by Arthur to order the guards to leave the room, leaving him alone with Lancelot . "Well?" said Lancelot in a hard tone, looking questioningly at Arthur.

"Oh sit down, will you?" Arthur muttered tiredly.

Lancelot sat down on a chair and silently observed Arthur. Arthur was lacking the usual vibrancy that emitted from his person. The Kingly arrogance that gave him the air of being bigger than he actually was, was missing. Now he looked, and Lancelot hated this thought, a broken man. It appeared as if Merlin's betrayal had hit Arthur hard. Lancelot felt a dart of pity lace through him and he lost the defensive stance he had unknowingly taken.

"What is it, Arthur?" Lancelot said, his tone a lot gentler. He guessed the reason for Arthur summoning him had something to do with Merlin and now he awaited for his suspicions to be confirmed. He hoped this was the beginning of Arthur finally seeing the light.

Arthur was pacing again. "You're the only one beside me who knows about Merlin. I need to talk to someone about this. I know you're not happy with me for throwing Merlin into the dungeons but he broke the law. He's defied me and broken the law numerous of times and I can't have the people thinking he will be treated differently just because he's Merlin." He vented. "Magic is illegal. He broke the law." He repeated it again, as if hoping that saying it enough times would convince him that his stance on Merlin was right.

Lancelot felt his heart beat quicken. Arthur sounded terribly unsure of himself, almost as if he was hoping Lancelot could persuade him to save Merlin. This was the moment that could change everything.

"But Arthur..." Lancelot said cautiously. "No one knows about Merlin. And if they don't know, how can they know he's being treated differently? "

"I know about Merlin though." Arthur said angrily. "The people expect me to uphold the laws of the land and if I can't do that, I have no right to be King."

Lancelot quickly changed tact. "And if you let Merlin rot in prison, you have no right to be called his friend. " He said coldly. "Deep in your heart, you know Merlin is a good man. A great man. He has saved your life numerous of times, often going beyond duty. You've seen it with your own eyes. I've seen it with my eyes. He has never abused the power of his magic or the position he held in your service and heart to advance any magical agenda. He is evidence that magic doesn't make you evil. It might be time that you started questioning the laws of the land, after all you are the King, and stopped questioning the loyalty of your most trustworthy servant and friend. Do the right thing, Arthur. "

Arthur was quiet, reflecting on Lancelot's words. Lancelot let the silence linger before standing up. "If that is all?" he asked pleasantly.

Arthur nodded absent mindedly. Lancelot had spoken some truths that he had a hard time coming to terms with. Arthur was angry, so angry that he wanted to believe Merlin was evil but not even the anger could convince him otherwise. Merlin, despite the lies, was a good man and Arthur as King did not want good people to be punished.

"Wait!" said Arthur suddenly, remembering something. Lancelot stopped and looked questioningly behind him. "Have the druid released and escorted back to his home, please" Arthur said.

Lancelot nodded expressionlessly. He waited until he was facing the door before letting a smile touch his face. It appeared that Arthur might be softening after all.

It was two days later that Merlin heard the clanging of the guards keys and the click of his door being unlocked. Merlin looked up from the hard rock which passed for his bed and saw Arthur standing at the door. Merlin stared at Arthur with stony eyes. Arthur looked everywhere but at Merlin.

"You can go." He said.

Merlin remained sitting. "Why?" he asked. "Why are you letting me go?"

Arthur's head quickly snapped around to look at Merlin disbelief. Merlin now had Arthur's full attention. "Why would you even ask me that question, now of all times? sure, if you had just eaten a full hot meal and had a hot shower but now? why aren't you running out of the door?" Arthur countered desperately hoping to avoid answering Merlin's question.

Merlin gave a knowing smile but stood up. "By letting me go, what do you mean?" am I free? do I still have a job? "

"You're free, Merlin" Arthur said quietly. "Nothing's changed since.." Arthur faltered a little but quickly continued "since you were imprisoned. You're still my servant, if you still want the job that is." He said hesitantly

"What about the druid? has he been released?" Merlin asked. Arthur quickly nodded. "Yes, Lancelot escorted him back to his people. He's safe." Merlin sighed in relief, suddenly feeling unburdened.

The "M" word still had not been mentioned. "What about my magic, Arthur? I still have it and I always will. Pretending it doesn't exist doesn't mean it will go away." Merlin said with a challenging look in his eyes.

"Look, Merlin. You have to understand it came as a shock to me. I'm not proud of my reaction but it's in the past now. I just hope you can forgive me."

"Why do you think I didn't break out of the cell? I only stayed as I knew you would eventually be apologising to me." Merlin said laughingly at Arthur. Both exchanged tiny smiles.

"So why the sudden acceptance of my magic?" asked Merlin cautiously.

Arthur looked shame faced. "I spoke to Lancelot. And Gaius. And Gwen. Lancelot and Gaius told me everything. The things you've done and suffered. I am sorry, Merlin. I...I had no idea. I just wish you could have told me everything. But..."he said holding out his hand as Merlin opened his mouth to speak. "I understand. I'm sorry and very thankful for everything you've done. I just want you to know that."

Merlin nodded, feeling a little embarrassed. "I'm just relieved that you know. It was such a burden, pretending, lying all the time and in all honesty, your reaction was hardly the worse scenario that I cooked up in my head." He said with a grin.

"Come, let go and get you cleaned up" said Arthur. "And I'll get the kitchen to cook your favourite meal."

"Who are you and what have you done to Arthur?" said Merlin mockingly.

Arthur gave Merlin a light punch on the arm and grinned at him. Together they walked out of the dungeons, both better men than the ones that had entered.

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Okay, so the last line is a little lame but I thought this had the potential to be dragged out some more and that's not what I want. Originally intended this chapter to be a lot more angsty but I just didn't have the heart for it.

Thank you again for reading and I would love to know your final thoughts this, good or bad :)


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